Thread: Buying a kitten unseen

Why??? Would you...

This is the new thing option offered by some breeders!!

Why would any one be so stupid, as to buy a kitten unseen why would they not want to go and visit the breeder and see the babies in the home situation, why WOULD the breeder offer her kittens to a owner who cannot be bothered to visit


One lady in Norwich/ Norfolk a hairdresser by trade is having her new baby delivered and she has only seen photos?? All I can say is I hope its what you wished and hoped for.

You opinions please..

Don't know why someone in Norwich would be quite that silly when there is two very good breeders very close by who no way would offer to just deliver their babies unseen,fingers crossed it is not one very big mistake,that is how a friend ended up paying a lot of money for a very definate "None MC"...
No I would not buy one that way is the answer Debbie,I would always want to see them in their home enviroment & would expect the breeder to want the same from me.

It sounds like someone wants a trophy cat and doesn't care about temperament or character! Very silly indeed. I just hope the poor thing is looked after properly.

:(

People in the US often end up buying kittens without being able to visit due to the distances that are involved. If I could get a kitten from a well known breeder off in another state or from a local person I knew nothing about but could visit? I would probably go for the well known breeder. I agree that it is nice to be able to go see the kitten and setup, but you can tell only so much from a brief visit. I can find out lots of information by looking at a breeder's website and by talking with them on the phone and by talking with other breeders. E.g., if I ask about HCM genetic testing and they don't do it or don't know much about it then I am done with them--the fact that the home setup is nice or that the person is nice is much less important. We have not actually visited the homes of either of the two breeders prior to selecting kittens (though it has always been understood that we need not accept the kittens once we get a chance to see them). In one case the breeder was living a couple thousands of miles away but was going to a cat show right near where we were going on summer vacation, so she brought the kitten and we met her there. Of course she sent lots of photos of the kitten beforehand and has a very extensive website with detailed health and other info, so we felt we already knew her and the kitten before we had even met. She also grilled us to make certain she thought we were suitable. The other breeder is one of the top MC breeders in the country. She also lives a long way from us, but had placed a kitten relatively nearby who was not fitting in well, so she encouraged us to go see him. Of course it was love at first sight when we did, and he is now a fabulous cat. I should not have gotten him because I couldn't visit the home of one of the best known breeders in the US first??

So what I would say is that people should be able to find out enough about a breeder to feel comfortable about the breeder. There is no single method for doing that though. I certainly would not get a kitten from a breeder I felt I knew little about, nor had concerns about, and if one will not let you visit then that should be a big red flag. But saying you cannot buy unless you can visit first is simply unrealistic in a large country like the US, and might restrict people to buying from less good breeders.

Maybe I have not put in what I should have? which may have pointed the feed back in the wrong direction though there are some very interesting contributions here, a couple of you say that you bought sight unseen from and I use the word as a grounding from """ reputable well known pre researched breeders""

What I am saying is google being the tool it is, with option to check on the Mainecoons...

For instance, there was a THREAD on here about delivery, which is a little bit different that buying sold unseen.



What are the pita falls from buying from a non reputable breeder then... sight unseen...

Maybe that would be a better question to ask..

I think there is a big difference also between sight-unseen but planned in advance versus impulse buying. The parents buying their wailing kids a puppy in the pet shop etc. That's plain wrong.

For those in a situation where travel is an issue, perhaps even those who are largely housebound and want companions, it is an option.